Portable Cooling Pad for Seat

ABSTRACT

A cooling pad includes a bottom section, a top section, and a middle section which together form a contoured surface to support a person&#39;s back. The contoured surface includes concave and convex sections, providing ventilated pockets which allow air to flow to a person&#39;s back. Inside the middle section there are intake holes, located on either side of the cooling pad, and exhaust holes, positioned atop and below the middle section. The intake holes allow air to be brought in from outside, while the exhaust holes direct air to cool a person&#39;s back. Fan and power systems are stored inside the middle section. The fan blows air through the exhaust holes. The system as a whole is designed to utilize negative pressure to bring fresh air in from the intakes, replacing the air the fan pushes through the exhaust holes. The resulting airflow prevents back sweat from occurring.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patentapplication Ser. No. 61/548,935 filed on Oct. 19, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for cushions tobe used in, for example: vehicle seats or office chairs. Morespecifically, the apparatus is a breathable cooling cushion thatcirculates air onto the user's back, while providing support for thelower back.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention mainly targets vehicle operators, for example taxiand bus drivers who must sit in the same seat for extended periods oftime, or office workers whose professions require a long period ofsitting, although the present invention may be used by anyone. Whensitting for a long duration of time, sweat precipitation usually buildsup due to the insulating nature of the seat, causing discomfort for theperson sitting. Also, due to design limitations of chairs, the chairusually does not offer enough lower back support for the sitter causingback strains. Increased comfort for the sitter often means increasedproductivity.

Current air conditioning technologies often use energy inefficiently.The present invention provides a means of cooling for a user undersituations where air conditioning is not necessary. For example, thevehicle operators can use the present invention instead of car airconditioning in warm weathers; this helps reduce fuel consumption andhelps prevent back skin problems due to sweat perspiration.

There are many people, especially elderly people, that have backproblems. There are many orthopedic cushions available on the market tosupport the patient's back; however, because of the insulating nature ofthe cushion, under elevated temperatures, the user often experiences thesame problem of back precipitation. When using current cushions for along period of time, the users get hot and sweat on their back.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an add-onseat rest with cooling capability, usable with any seat. It is a furtherobject of the present invention to prevent back sweat when a personremains seated for a long period of time. It is a further object of thepresent invention to provide a comfortable back rest for a sittingperson, enhancing the sitting experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal front perspective view showing the cooling housingof the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing the cover of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an internal front view showing the cooling housing of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is side view of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an internal top view of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing the direction of air flow of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is an internal top view showing the direction of air flow of thepresent invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describingselected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limitthe scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a cooling seat pad designed to cool a person'sback while sitting. The present invention is not integral to an existingseat, nor does it modify the designs of seats it is used in conjunctionwith. The present invention comprises a cushioned lower back section 1,a cushioned upper back section 6, a middle cooling section 11, and apermeable seat pad cover 24, as seen in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4,and FIG. 5. The middle cooling section 11 is positioned between thecushioned lower back section 1 and cushioned upper back section 6. Thecushioned lower back section 1 comprises a lower flat seat surface 2 anda lower contoured support surface 3. The cushioned upper back section 6comprises an upper flat seat surface 7 and an upper contoured supportsurface 8. The middle cooling section 11 comprises a middle flat seatsurface 12 and a middle contoured support surface 13. The combined flatseat surface is planar and is meant to rest against a seat, and isvisible in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The combined contoured support surface isopposite the combined flat seat surface and is designed to support aperson's back while still allowing for ventilation. The permeable seatpad cover 24 is a flexible breathable material that encases the rest ofthe cooling seat pad, including the lower back section 1, upper backsection 6, and cooling section 11.

Illustrated in FIG. 1, the cushioned lower back section 1 additionallycomprises a base convex support 4 and a lower concave recess 5. The baseconvex support 4 forms a foundation for the lower back section 1 andpresent invention as a whole. The lower concave recess 5 is positionedatop the base convex support 4. The cushioned upper back section 6additionally comprises a top convex support 9 and an upper concaverecess 10, depicted in FIG. 1. Similar to the cushioned lower backsection 1, the top convex support 9 and the upper concave recess 10 arepositioned adjacent to each other, with the top convex support 9 beingconnected atop the upper concave recess 10. The cushioned lower backsection 1 connects to the bottom part of the middle cooling section 11,with the lower concave recess 5 being joined to a lower end 14 of themiddle cooling section 11. The cushioned upper back section 6 islikewise connected to the middle cooling section 11, with the upperconcave recess 10 being joined to an upper end 15 of the middle coolingsection 11, positioned opposite the lower concave recess 5. Overall, thecombined contoured support surface provides an ergonomic design toaccommodate a person's natural back curvature. The base convex support4, the top convex support 9, and the middle cooling section 11, profiledin FIG. 7, form bumps that support a person's lower back or upperbuttock, upper back, and waist, respectively. The lower concave recess 5and the upper concave recess 10 create gaps between a person's back andthe lower contoured support surface 3 and upper contoured supportsurface 8, respectively, allowing for effective air circulation.

In the preferred embodiment, the cushioned lower back section 1, thecushioned upper back section 6, and the middle cooling section 11 aremade from environmentally friendly memory foam. In alternativeembodiments, the three sections could be made from plastics, metals, orother materials as desired. In addition, a solid frame could potentiallybe included if a person finds the memory foam to be too soft for theirpersonal taste. In addition, the specific contours of the combinedcontoured support surface can be adjusted to meet individual persons'needs, essentially providing a custom fit. In addition, straps could beattached to the three sections. These straps would wrap around the backof a seat, allowing a person to secure the present invention to a seat,rather than using it freestanding. If the straps are not included, aperson can rest the present invention against a seat and use it asnormal.

The middle cooling section 11 further comprises a cooling housing 16, afan 21, a power source 22, and an auxiliary power connection 23, aspictured in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5. The cooling housing 16 forms a cavity inthe middle cooling section 11, allowing the cooling housing 16 toaccommodate the fan 21 and the power source 22. The cooling housing 16itself comprises a first side intake 17, a second side intake 18, anupper exhaust 19, and a lower exhaust 20. The first side intake 17 andsecond side intake 18 are located on opposite sides of the coolinghousing 16, traversing through the middle cooling section 11 between themiddle flat seat surface 12 and middle contoured support surface 13.This can be seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The upper exhaust 19 cuts intothe cooling housing 16 from above, and is adjacent to the upper concaverecess 10. The lower exhaust 20, positioned opposite the upper exhaust19, cuts into the bottom of the cooling housing 16, adjacent to thelower concave recess 5. As seen in FIG. 7, the auxiliary powerconnection 23 is positioned on the side of the middle cooling section11, adjacent to the first side intake 17 and between the middle flatseat surface 12 and middle contoured support surface 13. The powersource 22 is positioned in the cooling housing 16 to the side of the fan21, and is electrically connected to the fan 21. As a result, the fan 21is powered by the power source 22. The positioning of the power source22 is intended to minimize obstruction of air flow.

In the preferred embodiment, the cooling housing 16 is built as aplastic housing, though in other embodiments other materials can beemployed. Inside the housing 16 there is preferably a single fan 21, aswell as a single auxiliary power connection 23. The auxiliary connection23 is preferably positioned on the side of the present invention closestto the center console, and thus cigarette lighter, of a car. Therefore,a driver's version would have the auxiliary power connection 23 next tothe first side intake 17, while a passenger's version would have theauxiliary power connection 23 next to the second side intake 18. In thepreferred embodiment, like illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the powersource 22 includes a first battery 221 and a second battery 222,positioned on either side of the fan 21. The first battery 221 andsecond battery 222 are each a high capacity lithium polymer battery, andtogether act as the main power supply for the fan 21. The batteries areelectrically connected to the auxiliary power input. When the auxiliarypower connection 23 is connected to an external power source, such as acar's cigarette lighter, the batteries will be recharged by theauxiliary power connection 23.

Though the first battery 221 and second battery 222 are preferablyplaced in the cavity of the cooling housing 16 for ease of access, inalternative embodiments they could also be recessed into the middlecooling section 11. The cooling housing 16 itself is preferablyintegrated into the middle cooling section 11, but in an alternativeembodiment the cooling housing 16 could be removable from the middlecooling section 11. Other deviations from the preferred embodimentinclude using multiple fans 21, additional batteries, or different typeof batteries. The batteries selected should be high efficiency,rechargeable, and capable of operating the fan 21 for a minimum of 8hours. While the auxiliary power connection 23 preferably connects to acigarette lighter, potentially it could be designed to interface with aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) or standard home outlet. An adapter could beprovided to allow the preferred embodiment to be charged from a varietyof sources, such as 12 volt supplies in the car or home. Instead of thepreferred standard fan 21, bladeless fans can be used to replace thepreferred standard fan 21, enhancing air flow as well as safety. Infact, any component capable of moving air can be used in place of thestandard fan 21, although cost and complexity may become issues whenpursuing alternative methods of air flow.

The permeable seat pad cover 24, as mentioned earlier, is made from abreathable material. The permeable seat pad cover 24 is designed to forma sleeve around the combined cushioned lower back section 1, cushionedupper back section 6, and middle cooling section 11, as in FIG. 3. Thepermeable seat pad cover 24 allows air to flow into the first sideintake 17 and the second side intake 18, as well as out of the upperexhaust 19 and the lower exhaust 20. In addition to permitting air flow,the permeable seat pad cover 24 acts as a limited filter, inhibitingdust accumulation inside the cooling housing 16. The permeable seat padcover 24 needs to include an input opening for the auxiliary powerconnection 23; this input opening allows a person to charge the presentinvention by means of the auxiliary power connection 23, without havingto remove the permeable seat pad cover 24 to gain access to theauxiliary power connection 23.

The material used to manufacture the permeable seat pad cover 24 can bevaried, as long as the material is breathable. Linen and viscose rayonare just two examples of materials which can be used to make thepermeable seat pad cover 24. In other embodiments, additional componentscould be added to enhance the effectiveness of the permeable seat padcover 24. One such possible addition is the use of air filters at thefirst side intake 17 and second side intake 18.

The present invention provides cooling by means of the fan 21, the firstside intake 17, the second side intake 18, the upper exhaust 19, and thelower exhaust 20. The present invention is designed to utilize freeflowing air, rather than air channels, to achieve the cooling. When thefan 21 is activated, it blows air, pushing the air through and out ofthe upper exhaust 19 and the lower exhaust 20. The air exits from theupper exhaust 19 and the lower exhaust 20, into the upper concave recess10 and lower concave recess 5, respectively. As a result, the exhaustedair blows onto a person's lower and upper back, providing air flow andhelping to inhibit perspiration. As the air is pushed by the fan 21 outof the cooling housing 16 and through the upper exhaust 19 and lowerexhaust 20, an area of low pressure is created in the cooling housing16. In order to equalize the pressure, air is pulled in from the firstside intake 17 and the second side intake 18 into the cooling housing16. The direction of airflow is illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

In alternative embodiments, an upper fan and lower fan could simply beplaced at the upper exhaust 19 and lower exhaust 20. In this example,the upper fan and the lower fan would blow directly towards a person'sback, rather than splitting the air flow of a single fan 21 between theupper exhaust 19 and lower exhaust 20. The invention would stillfunction similarly, with air being pushed through the upper exhaust 19and lower exhaust 20, and fresh air being pulled in through the firstside intake 17 and the second side intake 18.

Another possible configuration includes placing exhaust fans at thefirst side intake 17 and the second side intake 18. In this instance theexhaust fans push air out of the first side intake 17 and the secondside intake 18, effectively turning them into exhaust points. Again,this will create a lower pressure area in the cooling housing 16, whichwill cause fresh air to be pulled in from the upper exhaust 19 and lowerexhaust 20, which are essentially acting as intake points. As the air ispulled in through the upper exhaust 19 and the lower exhaust 20, aperson will feel a breeze due to air moving from the upper concaverecess 10 and the lower concave recess 5, into each exhaust.

With the use of additional fans 21, more configurations are possible; aslong as the fan setup creates air flow across a user's back, thefunction of the invention is served. If more fans 21 are used it may benecessary to incorporate additional intake and exhaust points.Alternatively, the fans 21 can be stacked to provide double, or eventriple fans 21.

In addition to being provided as a separate accessory, the presentinvention could be integrated into seats and chair designs, to providebetter cooling for a user. This would result in a more secure seatcushion, although it would also make repairs more difficult whencompared to a removable design. Although the present invention isintended for use in cars, where drivers often remain seated for longperiods of time, the present invention can be used in conjunction withany seat or chair. The present invention does not limit support foradditional seat support features.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooling seat pad comprises, a cushioned lowerback section; a cushioned upper back section; a middle cooling section;a permeable seat pad cover; the cushioned lower back section comprises abase convex support and a lower concave recess; the cushioned upper backsection comprises a top convex support and an upper concave recess; themiddle cooling section comprises a lower end, an upper end, a coolinghousing, at least one fan, and a power source; the cushioned lower backsection being connected to the lower end of the middle cooling section;and the cushioned upper back section being connected to the upper end ofthe middle cooling section.
 2. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim1 comprises, the cushioned lower back section, the cushioned upper backsection, and the middle cooling section being enclosed by the permeableseat pad cover.
 3. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 1 comprises,the cushioned lower back section being connected to the lower end of themiddle cooling section opposite the base convex support.
 4. The coolingseat pad as claimed in claim 1 comprises, the cushioned upper backsection being connected to the lower end of the middle cooling sectionopposite the top convex support.
 5. The cooling seat pad as claimed inclaim 1 comprises, the cushioned lower back support further comprises alower flat seat surface and a lower contoured support surface; thecushioned upper back support further comprises an upper flat seatsurface and an upper contoured support surface; the middle coolingsection further comprises a middle flat seat surface and a middlecontoured support surface; the lower concave recess being positioned onthe lower contoured support surface; the upper concave recess beingpositioned on the upper contoured support surface; and the coolinghousing being convex shaped along the middle contoured support surface,wherein the convex base support, convex cooling housing, and convex topsupport provide support for a person's back and the lower concave recessand upper concave recess provide ventilation for the person's back. 6.The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 1 comprises, the coolinghousing being positioned between the lower end and the upper end; thecooling housing comprises a first side intake, a second side intake, anupper exhaust, and a lower exhaust; the first side intake beingpositioned opposite the second side intake; the first side intake andthe second side intake being positioned laterally along the coolinghousing; the upper exhaust traversing into the cooling housing adjacentto the upper concave recess; the lower exhaust traversing into thecooling housing adjacent to the lower concave recess; the upper exhaustand lower exhaust each being perpendicular to the first side intake andthe second side intake; and the upper exhaust and the lower exhaustbeing parallel to each other.
 7. The cooling seat pad as claimed inclaim 6 comprises, the at least one fan comprises a fan axis ofrotation; the at least one fan being positioned in the cooling housing;the at least one fan being aligned with the upper exhaust and the lowerexhaust; and the fan axis of rotation being perpendicular with the firstside intake, the second side intake, the upper exhaust, and the lowerexhaust.
 8. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 6 comprises, thepower source comprises a first battery and a second battery; the firstbattery being positioned in the cooling housing between the first sideintake and the at least one fan; the second battery being positioned inthe cooling housing between the second side intake and the at least onefan; and the first battery and the second battery each beingelectrically connected to the at least one fan.
 9. The cooling seat padas claimed in claim 6 comprises, the middle cooling section furthercomprises an auxiliary power connection; the auxiliary power connectionbeing positioned on the cooling housing adjacent to the first sideintake; and the auxiliary power connection being electrically connectedto the power source.
 10. A cooling seat pad comprises, a cushioned lowerback section; a cushioned upper back section; a middle cooling section;a permeable seat pad cover; the cushioned lower back section comprises abase convex support, a lower concave recess, a lower flat seat surfaceand a lower contoured support surface; the cushioned upper back sectioncomprises a top convex support, an upper concave recess, an upper flatseat surface and an upper contoured support surface; the middle coolingsection comprises a lower end, an upper end, a cooling housing, at leastone fan, a power source, a middle flat seat surface and a middlecontoured support surface; the cushioned lower back section beingconnected to the lower end of the middle cooling section; the cushionedupper back section being connected to the upper end of the middlecooling section; the cooling housing being positioned between the lowerend and the upper end; the cooling housing comprises a first sideintake, a second side intake, an upper exhaust, and a lower exhaust; theat least one fan being positioned in the cooling housing; and the atleast one fan being aligned with the upper exhaust and the lowerexhaust.
 11. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 10 comprises, thecushioned lower back section, the cushioned upper back section, and themiddle cooling section being enclosed by the permeable seat pad cover;the cushioned lower back section being connected to the lower end of themiddle cooling section opposite the base convex support; and thecushioned upper back section being connected to the lower end of themiddle cooling section opposite the top convex support.
 12. The coolingseat pad as claimed in claim 10 comprises, the lower concave recessbeing positioned on the lower contoured support surface; the upperconcave recess being positioned on the upper contoured support surface;and the cooling housing being convex shaped along the middle contouredsupport surface, wherein the convex base support, convex coolinghousing, and convex top support provide support for a person's back andthe lower concave recess and upper concave recess provide ventilationfor the person's back.
 13. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 10comprises, the first side intake being positioned opposite the secondside intake; the first side intake and the second side intake beingpositioned laterally along the cooling housing; the upper exhausttraversing into the cooling housing adjacent to the upper concaverecess; the lower exhaust traversing into the cooling housing adjacentto the lower concave recess; the upper exhaust and lower exhaust eachbeing perpendicular to the first side intake and the second side intake;and the upper exhaust and the lower exhaust being parallel to eachother.
 14. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 10 comprises, the atleast one fan comprises a fan axis of rotation; and the fan axis ofrotation being perpendicular with the first side intake, the second sideintake, the upper exhaust, and the lower exhaust.
 15. The cooling seatpad as claimed in claim 10 comprises, the power source comprises a firstbattery and a second battery; the first battery being positioned in thecooling housing between the first side intake and the at least one fan;the second battery being positioned in the cooling housing between thesecond side intake and the at least one fan; and the first battery andthe second battery each being electrically connected to the at least onefan.
 16. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 10 comprises, themiddle cooling section further comprises an auxiliary power connection;the auxiliary power connection being positioned on the cooling housingadjacent to the first side intake; and the auxiliary power connectionbeing electrically connected to the power source.
 17. A cooling seat padcomprises, a cushioned lower back section; a cushioned upper backsection; a middle cooling section; a permeable seat pad cover; thecushioned lower back section comprises a base convex support, a lowerconcave recess, a lower flat seat surface and a lower contoured supportsurface; the cushioned upper back section comprises a top convexsupport, an upper concave recess, an upper flat seat surface and anupper contoured support surface; the middle cooling section comprises alower end, an upper end, a cooling housing, at least one fan, a powersource, a middle flat seat surface and a middle contoured supportsurface; the cushioned lower back section being connected to the lowerend of the middle cooling section; the cushioned upper back sectionbeing connected to the upper end of the middle cooling section; thecooling housing being positioned between the lower end and the upperend; the cooling housing comprises a first side intake, a second sideintake, an upper exhaust, and a lower exhaust; the at least one fanbeing positioned in the cooling housing; the at least one fan beingaligned with the upper exhaust and the lower exhaust; the cushionedlower back section being connected to the lower end of the middlecooling section opposite the base convex support; the cushioned upperback section being connected to the lower end of the middle coolingsection opposite the top convex support; the at least one fan comprisesa fan axis of rotation; and the fan axis of rotation being perpendicularwith the first side intake, the second side intake, the upper exhaust,and the lower exhaust.
 18. The cooling seat pad as claimed in claim 17comprises, the cushioned lower back section, the cushioned upper backsection, and the middle cooling section being enclosed by the permeableseat pad cover; the lower concave recess being positioned on the lowercontoured support surface; the upper concave recess being positioned onthe upper contoured support surface; and the cooling housing beingconvex shaped along the middle contoured support surface, wherein theconvex base support, convex cooling housing, and convex top supportprovide support for a person's back and the lower concave recess andupper concave recess provide ventilation for the person's back.
 19. Thecooling seat pad as claimed in claim 17 comprises, the first side intakebeing positioned opposite the second side intake; the first side intakeand the second side intake being positioned laterally along the coolinghousing; the upper exhaust traversing into the cooling housing adjacentto the upper concave recess; the lower exhaust traversing into thecooling housing adjacent to the lower concave recess; the upper exhaustand lower exhaust each being perpendicular to the first side intake andthe second side intake; and the upper exhaust and the lower exhaustbeing parallel to each other.
 20. The cooling seat pad as claimed inclaim 17 comprises, the power source comprises a first battery and asecond battery; the first battery being positioned in the coolinghousing between the first side intake and the at least one fan; thesecond battery being positioned in the cooling housing between thesecond side intake and the at least one fan; the first battery and thesecond battery each being electrically connected to the at least onefan; the middle cooling section further comprises an auxiliary powerconnection; the auxiliary power connection being positioned on thecooling housing adjacent to the first side intake; and the auxiliarypower connection being electrically connected to the power source.